A police officer points a gun at a man on the floor while an officer puts his foot on a knife (Picture: PA)

A police officer and a pedestrian are among five people who have been killed after a knifeman brought terror to the heart of Westminster.

The attacker, armed with two large knives, mowed down pedestrians with his car on Westminster Bridge, including schoolchildren, then rushed at the gates in front of the Houses of Parliament, stabbing a policeman before he was shot dead by armed officers.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of terror when gunfire rang out as the attacker approached a second officer within yards of the Houses of Parliament.

Paramedics fought to save his life and that of his police victim on the floor of the cobbled courtyard in front of Parliament, with Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood among those who rushed to help.

The police officer was wheeled away on a stretcher with his face covered and sources later confirmed he had died.

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Emergency workers move a man, believed to be the suspect, towards an ambulance (Picture: PA)

One woman hit by the attacker’s car before he reached Parliament was confirmed dead by a doctor at St Thomas’ Hospital.

Others on the bridge suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’.

Another woman who apparently fell into the Thames was rescued and given urgent medical treatment on a nearby pier.

London Ambulance Service said paramedics had treated at least 10 patients on Westminster Bridge.

A party of French schoolchildren were among those targeted on the bridge, with three injured.

Downing Street said Prime Minister Theresa May, who was ushered away from Parliament after the attack, was chairing a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee.

Commander BJ Harrington of the Metropolitan Police said there were ‘a number of casualties’ in the attack ‘including police officers’. He urged Londoners to be vigilant, said more officers would be on patrol and that anti-terrorism measures were being reviewed.

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Several people were tended where the car crashed into a fence of the House of Commons (Picture: Sky News)

The knifeman drove a grey Hyundai i40 across Westminster Bridge before crashing it into railings then running through the gates of the Palace of Westminster.

His attack left a trail of destruction as paramedics tended to victims on the bridge and at the gate.

Mrs May was seen being ushered into a silver Jaguar in the grounds of the palace as what sounded like gunfire rang out at around 2.45pm.

Eyewitness Rick Longley described the attack.

‘We were just walking up to the station and there was a loud bang and a guy, someone, crashed a car and took some pedestrians out.

‘They were just laying there and then the whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben.

The area around the Palace of Westminster has been put into lockdown (Picture: PA)

A member of the public is treated by emergency services (Picture: Getty)

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A man being taken off Westminster Bridge after he was injured (Picture: AP)

As the sitting in the House of Commons was suspended, Commons Leader David Lidington told MPs: ‘What I am able to say to the House is there has been a serious incident within the estate.

‘It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police.’

Witnesses described seeing a heavy-set man carrying a knife and running towards the Houses of Parliament.

Jayne Wilkinson said: ‘We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long.

‘And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood.

‘He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt.

Armed officers have been extending the cordon throughout the afternoon (Picture: Reuters)

Westminster Tube station and roads have been closed (Picture: AP)

‘A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman.

‘I have never seen anything like that. I just can’t believe what I just saw.’

An air ambulance landed in Parliament Square and a regular ambulance came in through the front gates as medics rushed to help.

Armed police cleared the area around the incident and Parliament Square and surrounding streets were closed to traffic while Parliament went into lockdown.

‘He was running through those gates, towards Parliament, and the police were chasing him.’

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Emergency workers tend to people near the crashed car (Picture: PA)

A car crashed into the perimeter fence (Picture: @westicles69/Twitter)

Paramedics help two people in Parliament Square (Picture: PA)

A group of young boxers who witnessed the attack said the terrorist pursued the officer.

Frazer Clarke, 25, from Burton-on-Trent, said: ‘We heard a loud bang and screaming and then I noticed some smoke. I thought it was a car crash.

‘I looked towards the front gate and people were running, a police officer and a fellow coming to the gate with two knives.

‘He was stabbing the police officer with the knives.
‘He was wearing black tracksuit bottoms, a black of grey top and what looked like work boots.

Around half an hour after the attack, former cabinet minister Anna Soubry claimed she and the Security Minister, Ben Wallace MP, were ordered into the Parliament lobby ‘at gun point’ by police officers.

‘Colleagues taken out of the library at gun point by counter terrorist armed police officers,’ she tweeted.

Another witness, from South Africa and living in Ireland, said she and two friends went towards the palace gates and saw a man lying on the floor inside.

She said: ‘I saw a body, they were working on the floor. They were just inside the gates.

‘He had one gunshot wound to the right side of his chest. I don’t know if he was dead or alive, but people were working on him.

‘I saw that needed medical attention and I asked if I could help because I am a doctor, but they said they were fine.’

(Picture: Reuters)

Police and paramedics tend to the injured (Picture: PA)

There’s a heavy police and ambulance presence outside the Houses of Parliament this afternoon

Several people have been injured on Westminster Bridge (Picture: Reuters)

A woman lies injured (Picture: Reuters)

Witnesses described seeing a middle-aged man carrying a knife and running.

Jayne Wilkinson said: ‘We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long.

‘And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood.

‘He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt.

‘He was running through those gates, towards Parliament, and the police were chasing him.’

Her partner David Turner added: ‘There was a stampede of people running out.

‘You saw the people and you thought ‘what the hell is going on’.’

The cordon in central London continues to get bigger (Picture: Reuters)

‘I heard shouts and screams from outside and looked out, and there was a group of maybe 40 or 50 people running round the corner from Bridge Street into Parliament Square,’ said Mr Woodcock.

‘They appeared to be running away from something. As the group arrived at the Carriage Gates, where policemen are posted at the security entrance, a man suddenly ran out of the crowd and into the yard. He seemed to be holding up a long kitchen knife.

Police are going through parliament floor by floor (Picture: EPA)

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Terror attack outside U.K. Parliament. 2 men down on road. Man with knife/machete got into Parliament and stabbed policeman. He's been shot pic.twitter.com/aYNktTiF4d